What You Need to Know About the Presumption of Innocence

Posted in : First Page Attorney

Have you recently been arrested? If so, you need to set aside time to talk with a lawyer you can trust.

If you have already been arrested for a crime, it is natural to have questions about how to protect your rights and what the law truly affords you. Even people who are accused of committing a misdemeanor or a felony, will maintain constitutional rights. The presumption of innocence is one of the most common questions raised by people who are facing charges.

Identifying an experienced criminal defense attorney who can help you to articulate a long-range plan to protect your best interests is extremely valuable as you move forward. Anyone who is accused of a crime is legally presumed to be innocent until they are convicted.

A conviction may come as a result of pleading guilty or in the trial. The presumption of innocence means that the prosecutor has to convince the jury of the defendant’s guilt, but this also means that the defendant does not have to do or say anything in his or her own defense to benefit from the presumption of innocence.

If the prosecutor is unable to convince the jury that the defendant is indeed guilty by the presentation of facts and evidence in the case, the defendant could be acquitted. The fact that the prosecutor has to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and the very presumption of innocence itself can present significant challenges to the prosecution when pursuing criminal charges against an accused individual.

The best way to protect yourself is to articulate a long-term criminal defense strategy as soon as possible by hiring a criminal defense attorney who is thoroughly experienced in this field. The presumption of innocence in and of itself will only protect you to a certain point. If the prosecution has a very strong case against you, you will need to have an attorney at your side who can help you to put together a strong criminal defense strategy to protect you now and well into the future.